ACQUITTED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 72, 16 November 1931, Page 5

ACQUITTED

(Press Assn.-

NERVE-WRACKED OFFICER WHO SHOT BOY EXONERATED INDIAN TRAIN INCIDENT

— By Telegraph — Copyright.)

CALCUTTA, Friday. Lieutenant Sheehan was acquitted of the murder of Donald Clark by shooting.in a railway train. The Magistrate declared that the affair was most nnfortunate and was eaused by Clark jumping on a moving train to evade detection as he was travelling without a ticket. Lieutenant Sheehan was overwrought owing to the previous attempt on his lif e, and he feared Clark was another assassin. The brutal murder of a British officer was committed on the Punjab mail train on the night of July 22. Two ofiicers, Lieutenant G. R. Hext and Lieutenant Sheehan, who were travelling to Poona, were attacked and stabhed. Lieutenant Hext was seriously wounded while he; was asleep and died later from his injuries. Lieutenant Sheehan was several wounded. Lieutenant Sheehan stated that he saw two men, armed with daggers, who killed the dog, and then attacked Lieutenant Hext and himself. Then they jumped from the train and disappeared in the jungle. On a later date Donald Clark, aged 18, a son pf the sub-editor of the Civil and Military Gazette, Lahore, was rejoinihg the train after partaking of refreshments, and jnmped into the- wi'ong carriage. Lieutenant Sheehan, who was in a sleepihg eompartment, -woke up and shot Mr. Clark dead, thinking he was an intruder.